he's the air i would kill to breathe
by abbyli
Summary: She sees him again when she's dancing on a Broadway stage. au-ish


**entitled: **he's the air that i would kill to breathe

**summary:** She sees him again when she's dancing on a Broadway stage. au-ish

**pairing: **darling pan

**rating: **m-ish? Strong t?

**disclaimer: **I do not own 'once upon a time' or 'the ten commandments'. I'm just borrowing them so please don't sue me. You won't get much.

**notes: **The play that Wendy is in is called 'The Ten Commandments: The Musical'. It was on Broadway back in the early 2000's and was absolutely excellent. If you can find the filmed version, please check it out.

By the way, Darling Pan is my new OTP. It doesn't help that Robbie has chemistry with a brick wall.

* * *

.

.

Seven years.

It had been seven years since she had been rescued. Since she had been pulled from the island and brought back to safety. Back to her brothers.

She had had a life in those years too. A good life. She had achieved her dream of becoming a dancer and had earned an amazing role in this musical that she was getting ready to go on for.

Ever since she had returned to the real world, Wendy Moira Angela Darling had enjoyed music and dance. Yes, she had to blame that on being in Neverland because honestly, that was all she ever heard and saw. Listening to that pipe play and seeing those Lost boys dance, it had reminded her of a different world. A world where there was no pain, no sadness.

And people wanted to be good.

"Wendy?"

Wendy raised her now dark haired head towards the voice. Lora, the stage manager smiled down at her.

"Yes?"

"Two minutes to curtain, Wendy."

"Thank you, Lora."

The other woman returns her gentle smile as she ducks out of the dressing room, leaving the younger alone.

Wendy turns to glance into the mirror one last time, her fingers brushing against the costume that wrapped around her body. No, it wasn't some glamorous costume for being on a broadway stage, it was simple. Actually, it was boring.

She was in a revival of 'Ten Commandments', a musical about the leader Moses. Wendy could remember learning about him in Sunday school back when she was a child so many years ago.

She was to portray his sister, Miriam, the young woman who never lost hope after being enslaved for so long. Being in Neverland for so long, she had had to hold onto hope. She had to believe that one day she would return home, she would find her family once again and be safe.

Wendy had to admit one thing though. She had found a bit of a home there in Neverland. In a way she had had no choice but then again, she did.

If she had the opportunity to go back to Neverland tomorrow, she wouldn't.

But...

* * *

The music blares. She's dancing along with everyone else, feeling the gentle and strong hands of a fellow dancer as he lifts her up in his arms, whirling her around to the beat of the drums. She casts a smile in his direction as she finds the floor underneath her feet once again, a laugh leaving her lips because honestly, life was just so beautiful at this moment.

The curtain falls. Intermission.

Wendy tumbles into her dressing room, pulling the mike from around her ear and unhooking the battery pack from the back of her dress. She doesn't even see the long stemmed rose before it's too late.

His face is reflected back to her in the mirror.

Wendy whirls around, her heart hammering in her chest as she looks him up and down. He looks just like she has always remembered him, the same long and lanky frame, curly blonde hair and green eyes that always felt like they were looking right through her. It's him.

Oh, god.

Peter Pan, her captor, was standing in her dressing room.

"What do you want?" she spits out, quickly hitting the off button on her microphone. "Why are you here?"

Peter raises a brow, giving her one long hard look. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"Old friend?" Wendy repeats. "Really? You held me hostage for a hundred years!"

"I didn't hear you complaining for quite a few of those years."

Wendy has no reply for that.

"Wendy Sawyer, huh? Nice new name. And hair by the way."

Out of reflex her hand shoots to her dark curls.

"Why are you here, Peter?" she asks again. "What do you want from me?"

"Is it possible for you to believe that I missed you?" Peter says as he walks over to her makeup table, peering down at the scattered items. He picks up the white rose and holds it between his fingers. "And I wanted to wish you luck on your big night."

Wendy shakes her head. "I want you to go, Peter. Please. This night isn't the night."

"The night for me to be here, you mean?"

"Peter, I am not Wendy Darling anymore," she scowls, her newfound temper starting to rise. "I have a new life. I am happy and you can't take that away from me!"

She sees his expression softening for an instant before that hard mask comes back up.

"I never intended to, Wendy-bird."

"Don't call me that."

"I can't help it," Peter says. "You will always be my Wendy-bird."

"I do not belong to you. Or anymore for that matter."

A smirk appears. He shakes his head for a moment, almost like he is flabbergasted at her words.

"You were always a very hopeful girl, Wendy," Peter says, rising to his feet from his tentative perch on her chair.

"You should try that out," Wendy replies.

That does it.

"Pardon?"

Wendy can't help it. She's not that timid little girl anymore. She goes right for the jugular.

"Do you even regret anything?" Wendy asks. "Anything at all?"

"Care to clear that up, love?"

"Abandoning your son for this?" she snaps.

She blinks and he is inches away from her. His jade eyes bore into hers, almost like he is trying to compel her.

"I would advise you not to mention that again, my dear," he murmurs, his lips brushing the air around her ear. "You don't know what it could end up costing you."

"Something like this?" Wendy asks. And then she slaps him right across the face.

She feels her nails graze his skin, tearing at his flesh. A bead of blood appears on his lip, standing out against his pale skin.

She kisses him then, smearing that blood against her own lips. He returns the kiss with just as much vigor, his lips parting slightly against hers. She cuts off the kiss then, pulling back to gaze into his eyes.

"Well, that was unexpected," he whispers, his lips redder than before, stained with his own blood and swollen.

"There's a lot of things that you don't know about me, Pan," she whispers, her lips grazing his chin before she pulls back totally.

He stares at her, awe in his eyes. His chest heaves with heavy breaths, his mouth curling up in a familiar smile that she remembers from all of her years in Neverland.

A knock on the door jars the both of them out of their reverie.

"Wendy? You're on stage in one minute!" the voice calls.

Wendy swallows the heavy lump in her throat before calling back "Thanks!"

Once the heavy footsteps disappear, she turns back to Peter.

"Will I see you again?" The words leave her lips quicker than she can control them.

His smirk returns to a full blown smile and he takes back control. He strides over, his legs long and lean and reaching her within two steps. He looms over her, his eyes darkening with some emotion that she can't pinpoint.

"All you have to do is ask, little bird," he murmurs. "And I will be there."

Wendy blinks and he's gone. Like he was never there in the first place.

* * *

She dances stronger, she sings louder, she smiles wider than she has ever in her whole entire too long of a life.

When she returns to her dressing room, she isn't surprised to find the door unlocked. She steps over the threshold and sees it.

A full bouquet of white roses now, with one crisp piece of paper taped to the side of the face.

She closes the door behind her, making sure to lock it before she approaches the table. She plucks the paper off of the side of the vase, leaning down slightly to sniff a bud before taking in the words.

_We'll meet again, little bird.  
__-P_

Wendy Darling can breathe again.

* * *

**Well this turned out a bit more smutty than I intended with that bit of blood play there. Darling Pan is a very dark couple and it's kind of fun to explore them. Like I said, it really doesn't help that Robbie and Freya have chemistry with a brick wall. **

**I hope you enjoyed. Leave your thoughts, maybe?**


End file.
